Six most impressive performances at MLB's All-Star Futures Game

Six most impressive performances at MLB's All-Star Futures Game

NEW YORK — Team USA took a 4-2 victory over Team Everywhere Else (also known as the World Team) in the All-Star Futures Game at Citi Field on Sunday. Though it’s near impossible to evaluate a young player a single game, especially one against competition spanning nearly every minor league level, several players nonetheless turned in impressive performances.

Mets pitchers Rafael Montero and Noah Syndergaard:

Mets prospect Rafael Montero (PHOTO: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)

No pitcher threw more than an inning in the Futures Game and plenty left unscathed, but the Mets’ pair of prospects opened the game matched up against each other at their potential future home park and left it a scoreless tie after one inning. Both young pitchers showed good control in the first half of 2013, and both featured fastballs in the mid-90s on Sunday. Montero induced weak contact in a 1-2-3 frame, Syndergaard showed swing-and-miss stuff and allowed only a ground-ball single up the middle.

Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich:

(PHOTO: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)

The sweet-swinging Marlins prospect, who played designated hitter for Team USA, smacked the first big hit of the game when he extended on a 96 mph fastball from Rays lefty Enny Romero and drove it over the center fielder’s head to the base of the outfield wall, 408 feet away. The double scored Dodgers prospect Joc Pederson. Yelich, the Marlins’ first-round pick in the 2010 draft, could see the Majors sometime in the second half of the season if his club promotes him aggressively.

Cubs infielder Arismendy Alcantara:

(PHOTO: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)

The diminutive, switch-hitting Cubs infielder showed impressive pop from the left-hand side of the plate in the top of the fourth inning, when he pulled a Anthony Ranaudo fastball into the second deck in right field. Alcantara started the game at second base on Sunday, but has played shortstop and third base in the Cubs’ system as well.

The big-swinging Triple-A slugger crushed a Michael Ynoa changeup about 400 feet to left-center for the game’s second homer. Davidson was a high-school teammate of Walker’s in California, but he has a ways to go to match his sock game.

Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton:

(PHOTO: Al Behrman/AP Photo)

How fast is Billy Hamilton? He’s so fast, it warps baseball rules. Hamilton started the game, went 0-for-2, exited the game, then came back in to pinch run for right fielder George Springer, who himself later returned to the game. That’s not how baseball works when Billy Hamilton’s not running. He’s also apparently too fast to be photographed in the Futures Game, so here’s this shot of him being photobombed by Mr. Redlegs.

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